Trunk.



Nrrn STATES ArtNr TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,07 5, dated May 14,l 901.

Application filed September 17, 1900. Serial No. 30,292. (No model.)

To all when@ t may concern:

Be it known that LWILsoN JOHN CARROLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oripplecreek,in the co n n ty of rleller and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Trunk, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in trunks; and the objectthereof is to provide an improved follower arranged Within thetrunk-body and adapted to be secured at different distances from thebottom,where by any quantity of clothing carried in the trunk can betightly packed in place To prevent its disarrangement and wrinkling.

In order that the invention may be readily understood by those skilledin the art, the preferred form is shown in the accompanying drawings anddescribed in the following specificatiou, of which said drawings form apart; but it will be understood that the construction shown anddescribed is capable of modification and change within the scope of theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trunk with the lidthrown back and showing the improved follower applied. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of the trunk-body. Fig. 3 is a topplan view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal view on the line 0cof Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral gures of the drawings.

As shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the body of anordinary trunk, having a hinged cover 11 and provided contiguous to theupper edges of its inner end walls with the horizontal supporting-cleats 12, upon which the usual tray or till rests. Theseelements form no part of the present invention, but are shown in orderthat the application thereof ymay be more readily understood.

The invention comprises a follower attachment mounted between the bottomof the trunk and the supporting-cleats 11 and having novel means forsecuring it upon the articles placed within the body of the trunk.

In ca rrying out this invention, as shown, a flat horizontal follower 13is provided, which fits snugly within the trunk-body and conforms,substantially, to the shape of the same.

This follower is provided upon its upper face with a handle 14, whichpreferably comprises a looped piece of flexible material that will folddat upon the follower when not in use.

In order to secure the follower 13 upon the articles placed beneath thesame, vertical guide-strips 15 are provided upon the innerend walls ofthe trunk-body, said strips being each provided with a vertical row ofopenings 1G, which are adapted to be engaged by springcatches of thepresserbars hereinafter described. The strips extend from the bottom ofthe trunk-body nearly to the tray-supporting cleats 11, leaving a spacebetween the latter and the ends of said strips to permit the readyapplication and removal of the presser-bars. These guide-strips arepreferably T-shaped in cross-section, the projecting flanges 15a beingsecured to the respective walls of the trunk-body, thus forming theoppositely-arranged grooves 17. Slide-bly mounted upon theseguide-strips 15 are presser-bars 18, which extend across the endportions of the follower 13, parallel to the end walls, to which theyare thus secured, and are each provided with a spring-catch 19, that isadapted to engage the openings 16. These presserbars are each providedon one side with a T- shaped notch,througb which passes the guidestrips,the lugs 20, formed by said notch, iitting in the oppositely-arrangedgrooves 17 of the guide-strip. By this means the presserbars have a freevertical movement, but are held to the respective ends of thetrunk-body.

The spring-catches 19 each preferably comprises a bowed rod, one end ofwhich is headed, as at 21, said headed end fitting in a socket 22 in thewall of the presser-bar opposite to the T-shaped notch, to one sidethereof, and having` a spring 23 coiled around the shank of the same. Aretaining-plate 24 is arranged over the mouth of the socket, and the rodpasses through this plate, which thus forms a bearing against which oneend of the coiled spring 23 rests. The opposite end of the rod passesdirectly across the upper face of the presser-bar,normall y projectinginto the plane of theT-shaped slot and forming a bolt 25, which engagesin the openings 16.

In operating the device the articles having been placed in the bottom ofthe trunk the follower is placed over the same. The presserlOO bars arethen mounted upon the loclrin g-strips, with the spring-catches thrownout of engagement, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The bars can thusbe moved freely without interference from said catches. When thefollower has been tightly pressed down upon the contents, thespring-bolts are swung into operative position and will secure thefollower in place, the springs holding the bolts in the openings, solthat there is no danger of their accidental displacement by jarring ortilting the trunk. It will thus be seen that a follower is provided thatcan be adjusted to the varying quantity of clothing carried in a trunkand that will securely hold the same in place. While the device has beendescribed as being applicable to trunks, it will be evident to thoseskilled in the art that it may be readily applied with equal advantageto other receptacles.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. i

Having thus described my invention,what

lI claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a receptacle, of vertically-arrangedsubstantially T-shaped guide-cleats secured to opposite interior wallsof the receptacle and intermediate the ends of said walls, a followeradj ustably arrangedv within the receptacle, independent presserbarsarranged adjacent to the opposite interior walls of the receptacle andeach having a substantially T-shaped notch intermediate its ends whichreceives the guide-cleat vof the adjacent wall, whereby said bar isslidably interlocked, said presser-bars being arranged to bear upon thefollower, and locking means .carried by the presser-bars and arranged toengage the guide-cleats to hold said bars against movement.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a follower adjustably arrangedwithin the receptacle, and means for securing said follower againstmovement, said means including a bolt having substantially parallelarms, one of which is slidably secured to said means, the other beingarranged to engage a portion of the receptacle.

3. The combination with a receptacle, of a follower arranged within thereceptacle, a presser-bar also arranged within the receptacle upon thefollower, and a substantially U-shaped bolt, one of the arms of which ispivotally and yieldingly secured to the presserbar, the other arm beingarranged to engage a portion of the receptacle to hold the bar andfollower against movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILSON JOHN CARROLL.

Witnesses:

EDGAR A. YELTON, N. A. AL'rMAN.

